Belt conveyer



Feb. i4, 1939. T. 5.A NYBORG BELT CONVEYER Filed March 11, 193e y, 0,. ma M ,ML W V a r 7 2 w70 A 7 Zgge Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED PAT T GFFICE BELT CONVEYER Application March 11, 1936, Serial No. 68,299 In Great Britain August-'27, 1935 3 Claims.

This invention relates to belt conveyers, more particularly to the sectional frame construction for such conveyers in wlnch the sections consist ci or incorporate a trough, the bottom of which 5 is interposed between the upper and lower run of belting.

In such conveyers, it is desirable to have the sections coupled together in such a way that limited relative vertical angular movement between them is permittedbut the sections when coupled together should be laterally rigid to maintain a straight line resistant to side pressure. It' is also desirable that the coupling of the sections should be made and dismantled without tools. It is an object of this invention to provide coupling means for co-nveyer sections having these features.

An important object of the invention is to provide coupling means for the sections of belt conveyer frames which, by the cam action between the engaging parts, automatically cause the adjacent sections to assume complete lateral alignment after the sections have been roughly engaged in approximate alignment.

A further object is to permit of relative inclination up or down from the horizontal between sections, while permitting the feet carried by the sections to seat on the oor. A further object is to utilize coupling members engaging in tapered slots at the extreme outer sides of the sections to form pivots about a horizontal axis irrimediately over the feet.

A further object is to provide the coupling with feet on which the conveyer may stand by extending the slotted plates (when the tapered slots open upwardly) downwardly beyond the sides of the trough.

Another object is to provide means for supporting the idle roller for the bottom run of belting in such a manner that the roller is in position when the sections are coupled together.

A typical form of construction of the coupling according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 represents a side view of the coupling applied to sections of a belt conveyer frame,

Figure 2 is a plan of the coupling shown in Figure 1.

The conveyer frame is made up of sections I, 2 which incorporate a trough 3. The lower run of the belt is covered by the bottom of the trough and the upper run of the belt runs therein. Plates 4 are xed to each side at one end of the section I and project beyond the end of the trough.

A slot 5 is cut in the top edges S of the plates 4,A

Vhaving its sides tapering inwardly towards the bottom. The slot is preferably rounded off at the bottom.

'Ihe adjoining sectionk 2, has plates I attached K5 to its sides towards its end. The plates 'I are offset soas to have a part 8 parallel to the side 9 of the trough but spaced therefrom a distance greater than the thickness of the slotted plate 4. The part 8 of the plate 'I extends substantiallytolo the end of the trough section 2.

Between the part 8 and the side 9 of the trough is inserted a distance piece II), held' in position by a rivet or bolt II passing through the side of the trough 4and the part 8. The radius of the l5 distance piece IS is preferably approximately the same as or sligh y greater than the radius of the bottom of the slot in the plate 4.

The plates 4 are extended downwardly to form supports for the conveyer trough. 20

Inclined slots I2 are cut in the slotted plates 4 in which can be supported the idler roller I3 for the lower run of belting. When the two sections are coupled together, the mouth of the slot I2 is closed bythe end I5 of the adjoining 25 trough and the idler roller is thus locked in position.

Each section of the conveyer trough is preferably provided with a slotted plate 4 at one end and a plate 'I having a distance piece I0 at the 30 other end.

To couple together two sections of conveyer tted with the coupling, the end of one section 2 carrying the distance members I IJ is lowered on to the end of the mating section I having the 35 extended plates 4 with tapered slots 5 so that the distance members IB enter the tapered slots 5. As the members I move downwards into the working position, side clearance is taken up and when fully home the conveyer sections are coupled 40 together with lateral rigidity. To uncouple the sections the end carrying the distance members Il! is lifted up, to remove the members I0 from the slots 5.

The ends of the horizontal portions of the 45 trough, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, may be overlapped, as` shown at I4, or in any other convenient way permitting limited vertical angularity between the sections, or may simply butt together. 50

In general it is desired to have the line about which adjacent sections move vertically as close as possible to the joint between the bottoms of the troughs and thus the slots and distance mem;- bers are arranged as near this line as possible. 55

Many modifications may be made in the form of the coupling without departing from the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. Coupling means for belt conveyer frames made in sections and` each including a trough, said coupling means comprising a plate rigidly secured to each side of the terminal of one trough section, said plate extending beyond the end of the section and being formed in extended portion with slots opening through the upper edge of the plates, the walls of the slots being downwardly converging and terminating in a rounded bearing portion, a plate secured to the meeting end of the other section and spaced outwardly with respect to the wall of the section, and coupling members fixed in Asaid plate and in said Wall of the section inwardly of the plate, the plate on the rst named section being designed to pass between the plate and section wall of the second named section in the coupling of the sections, the coupling member having a diameter appropriately engaging the rounded ends of the slots for swinging support, with said diameter materially lessthan the maximum Widths of the slots at their upper ends, whereby the sections may be coupled initially by placing the coupling members within the widened upper ends of the` slots in any one of several different positions, the members thereafter through the camming action of the converging walls of the slots guiding the coupling members and thereby the section'to which they are secured into proper aligned relation with the iirst named section, said coupling members finally seating for accurate swinging bearing relation in the rounded lower ends 4of the slots.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, wherein the plates in which the slots are formed are further formed with downwardly inclined slotsto receive idler rollers for the belt, the edge of the adjacent section having such relation to the downwardly inclined slots as to retain the idler rollers in position in the slots When the sections are cou-pled. Y

3. In a sectional belt conveyer frame, the combination of sections each including a trough, horizontal web portions of adjacent troughs overlapping at their ends to'form a joint, permitting pivoting of the adjacent troughs separately about an axis in the same vertical plane as the joint, horizontal coaxial pins at the sides of one end of one trough section, parts having tapered slots at the sides of the mating end of the adjacent trough section and arranged to receive the said pins, and to coact therewith to bring Ythe sections into lateral alignment the axis of the said pins g when home in the slots being substantially coin- 

